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At Florida Senior Day, Janet Mills was awarded the Champion of Service Award for her outstanding service for more than 10 years as a dedicated volunteer with the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) Program. During that time she helped more than 10,670 people with Medicare counseling. Congratulations, Janet, and thank you for your many years of service to Florida Seniors!
The State of Florida has a program called SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) that provides free counseling to Seniors about Medicare, Medicaid, long-term care planning, and prescription assistance. The program is administered at the county level through our local "Area Agency on Aging" (other states also have this program - either in their Department of Aging or in their Department of Insurance).
SHINE is an unbiased information and counseling program that trains volunteers to help older adults to get the information that they need to make informed decisions on health insurance issues. They provide information to elders, their caregivers, and their families. To receive Medicare counseling in Pasco County, you can call 1-800-963-5337.
The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco-Pinellas, Inc. and the Florida Department of Elder Affairs are seeking volunteers for this program. They are offering professional, comprehensive training on the basics of Medicare in a three-day program to individuals interested in volunteering with the SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) Program. The next training will begin on April 22, 2014. Volunteering with SHINE will not only help you gain an understanding of the complex world of Medicare for yourself or your loved ones, but it will also empower you to help others in your community.
If you are interested in becoming a SHINE volunteer in Pasco County, please call the local Elder Helpline at 1-800-96ELDER or call Susan Samson SHINE Liaison, at 727-570-9696 ext. 23.
The Area Agency on Aging of Pasco - Pinellas also provides many other services for seniors and caregivers. You can click on the picture below to access their website:
The Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College recently published a fact sheet on volunteerism among older adults. Here are some of their findings:
- Estimates of volunteerism in older adults vary from 28% to over 50%.
- Over 40% of older adults expect to increase their time spent in volunteer work in the next five years.
- Older adults are more likely to continue to work for organizations that offer managerial or professional opportunities.
- Older adults tend to prefer flexible volunteer schedules.
There are many ways you can help out in our community. Here is a list of volunteer opportunities in Pasco County:
You can also search for more local volunteer opportunities at VolunteerMatch, which connects people to over 75,000 non-profit organizations throughout the United States who are looking for volunteers.
